weekend at Casa de Hicks

A few weeks ago we got to spend the weekend with my sister and her bf near SF. They were originally supposed to come to our place, but due to a miscommunication and a busy dog schedule, we ended up going there instead. The drive wasn't nearly as long as I remember it being (thankfully). And we got to cross two things off our bucket list during our trip: spending a weekend at their place, and seeing Alcatraz. 

We arrived on Friday afternoon, ordered in pizza, and just hung out. It was nice and relaxing. Perfect Friday night. Saturday we enjoyed the warm warm weather by lounging outside and playing at the park. 

snacking away

the boys lounging  

At the park she started chasing bubbles with a few other kids. This was so adorable and kept her busy for at least 30 minutes. She had a blast!

where did they go? 

I'm gonna get that one!

Peter just purchased a baby grand piano and Charlotte had a great time learning to play it. Now I don't have an ear for these things, but even when she was just banging around on the keys I thought it sounded pretty good. It is pretty obvious we have some sort of a musician/singer/dancer on our hands. I see music lessons in her future. 

Grandma and Rachel even came over and we all went to dinner together at a delicious Sushi place. Yummy. It was not Charlotte's best night, Matt had to take her out of the restaurant and keep her occupied while we finished up and paid the bill. A tired toddler in a restaurant = a handful.

On Sunday Matt and I had a little daytime date: a trip to Alcatraz. I had been to Alcatraz a few times when I was a kid, but Matt had never been before, and I really wanted him to see it.  We were planning on taking Charlotte with us, but Sara volunteered to watch her while we were gone, which was awesome! They stayed home and cleaned and played with dogs and we had a whole day to ourselves. 

Alcatraz

Golden Gate Bridge

on the ferry ride

the main cell block

we did the audio tour

a typical cell

matt, in the hole

the view the prisoners saw

taking a quick bathroom break, don't mind me

the final stop, the dining hall

the view of the city from Alcatraz

what a great day to go!

It is so fascinating to go to Alcatraz and see where these criminals lived. And to think some people escaped! While the distance doesn't seem too far to get to the city (Matt thinks he could easily do it), I know the water is super cold and could contain sharks. I highly recommend seeing Alcatraz if you get the chance. (I hear the night tour is awesome too) But make sure to book your tickets weeks, even months in advance. It is very popular and fills up fast! And since it is right down the street from Pier 39, you can do what we did, go and enjoy a lovely lunch after playing tourist. :)

We took off for Monterey early the next morning. It was a wonderful little weekend away. Thanks Sara and Peter for playing host/ess! And hopefully this won't be our last trip to the city. We want to get away one more time to SF, see a baseball game, and maybe even catch up with some friends before the big move.